Eagles' Mills paints himself into corner

JIM SCHWARTZ noted the impact of rookie corner Jalen Mills when Schwartz was asked Thursday why Eric Rowe was traded.

"Jalen was a seventh-round pick and really exceeded our expectations, and probably anybody's expectations for him," Schwartz said. "We're looking at a situation where we're going to have four corners active. Jalen has played some nickel for us, also. That really wasn't on Eric's plate.

"Eric worked really hard and did everything we asked from him. We certainly wish him the best. But our personnel staff decided to use him as an asset, and as coaches, we just deal with that and keep playing."

Mills just about has to be active and involved Sunday against Cleveland, because the Eagles have just four corners on the roster.

"That wowed me, just coming from a guy like coach Schwartz," Mills said. "He expects perfection from anybody he puts on the field. Him saying that, that's a big deal to me."

Mills came to training camp with his hair dyed bright green. Six weeks later, the tips are still green, but the effect is less pronounced.

"I'm going to take care of that Friday," Mills said. Yes, he said, same color. "Gotta stay with the green," he said.

Schwartz said he didn't consider moving Rowe to safety, the position some draft experts thought might be best for him, coming out of Utah. "I think he's a corner," Schwartz said, and Rowe agreed, in interviews after his first practice with the Patriots. The Eagles are scheduled to get a fourth-round pick in 2018 that can be a third if Rowe plays half the Pats' snaps either this season or next. Rowe was the Eagles' 2015 second-round pick and started the final five games last season.

Wide receiver Bryce Treggs (knee) hasn't practiced with his new team since coming over on waivers from the 49ers earlier this week, so Treggs, we can assume, isn't playing Sunday. The picture is less clear for new safety Terrence Brooks - though Brooks can hardly have learned the defense very well this quickly, he might be able to help on special teams. The other waiver acquisition, Kamu Grugier-Hill, is one of only five linebackers on the roster, so he's going to have to play, at least a little in the defense and certainly on special teams.

Grugier-Hill, a sixth-round pick of the Patriots this year from Eastern Illinois, indicated he could be useful in certain packages. "I'm a pretty quick learner," he said.

The Eagles still have just 52 players on their 53-man roster. It looks more and more like they intend to bring back vested veteran linebacker Najee Goode next week; Goode would be owed his entire year's salary if he played in the opener, but by not adding him until afterward, they could pay him week to week.

Wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham is still learning the offense, but Green-Beckham said this week he expects a "big role" Sunday from the "X" spot, the wide-receiver position he has been working in since arriving in a trade from Tennessee on Aug. 16.

Green-Beckham, 6-5, 237, said he has been working extra with quarterback Carson Wentz to refine their timing.

"Just to continue to build," offensive coordinator Frank Reich said, when asked Green-Beckham's status. "Again, we've said before that when he's out on the field, I think defenses know he's on the field. I think our quarterbacks know, and I think our whole team knows when he's on the field. He's that kind of a presence.

"It comes down to playmakers, and really the way we define that is, 'How do you make an explosive play on first or second down?' And then playmaking really gets defined on third down and in the red zone - keeping drives alive and getting the ball in the end zone. If you're going to start to piecemeal a guy in who has that kind of ability, you want him to (make) difference-making kinds of plays, so those will be key."

Reich added that Wentz "loves throwing the fade ball and has a natural touch and feel for it," and that while building timing with DGB is important on that route, a lot of it is just the receiver going up and getting the ball.

Defensive end Vinny Curry again was listed as limited, but he says he's playing . . . Kicker Caleb Sturgis signed a contract extension this week, taking him through 2017. Sturgis arrived last season as an injury replacement for Cody Parkey, then outkicked Parkey in training camp. Now maybe he can settle in a bit. "It definitely feels good that they want me here, and I want to be here," Sturgis said . . . Frank Reich said options for using a fullback Sunday include tight end Trey Burton and offensive and defensive linemen. The only lineman who played fullback in a preseason game was rookie left tackle Dillon Gordon, who said Thursday he doesn't think he's in the fullback plan this week. So, a mystery.

@LesBowen

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